This was the first album I ever remember listening too. My dad brought it home and tracks like Big Parade, Whisper Your Name, and She are still constant plays on my iTunes. Timeless white boy funk.

2. Gemstones – Adam Green (2003)

Meaningless drug induced lyrics, ridiculous musicianship and the rebirth of the 2 minute pop song. This guy is insane and his music reflects it, but you cant help but realize the genius in his Leneord Cohen inspired lunacy.

3. MXPX – The Ever Passing Moment (2000)

This was the first time I scared my parents with a music purchase. I was pretty much the man in 8th grade. Not.

4. Doolittle – The pixies (1989)

I was 2 years old when this album came out but I wish I had been 17. I didn’t discover this album until The Pixies got back together to play a show for Boston Best Music Poll my Junior year of High School. Just a ridiculously original album.

5. Figure 8 – Elliott Smith (2000)

I didn’t know about this guy until a year after he died. I still remember being told about him and checking him out that night and just being blown away. This is hands down the best album of the past 15 years.

6. Summer Teeth – Wilco (1999)

I could put every Wilco on this list, but I feel like this album sums up the band for me. She’s A Jar is one of my favorite songs of all time. At one point this album owned 12 of my Top 25 Most Played playlist on iTunes.

7. Third Eye Blind – Third Eye Blind (1997)

This is the first album I ever bought with my own money. I sang Semi-Charmed Kind of life at Karaoke a couple months ago. That has to count for something.

8. I Was Made To Love Her – Stevie Wonder (1967)

I remember hearing the title track on a greatest hits CD my mom had when I was like 12 years old and it made me realize that girls were for something﻿ other than being in the way. Stevie is the funkiest dude ever.

9. Oceans Will Rise – The Stills (2008)

Every album by these guys is awesome. This just happens to be the best. There is not a single bad track.

10. The Unauthorized Biography of Reinhold Messner – Ben Folds (1999)

Is there even a need to write about this? I’ll keep it as brief as possible. This album single handedly broke up my favorite band ever. I think deep down they knew they couldn’t write anything better. It’s that good.

You might recognize that mug from indie friendly films by Wes Anderson and Anand Tucker, but Jason Schwartzman’s talents go beyond the big screen. Back in the day, he was the drummer for Phantom Planet, but as his film career grew, he began to focus on acting. Luckily for us he missed making music enough to do some solo work and two years ago graced us with the initial release from Coconut Records, Nighttiming. His Follow up album “Davy” is an eclectic mix of songs that would fit perfectly within the style of films he tends to star in.

Highlights Include, “Any Fun“, “Wandering”, and the records first single “Microphone”:

The Handsome Furs are an indie rock band from Montreal, Canada comprised of husband/wife duo Dan Boeckner, from Wolf Parade and Atlas Strategic, and his wife Alexei Perry. The music features Dan playing guitar over heavy synth drum machine beats manufactured by Alexei. The couples sophomore album “Face Control” paints a picture of post-Soviet Russia as dark and drippy and has deep political undertones of which I have not fully comprehended. One thing is for sure though, this record matches the cover art. BAD ASS.

Highlights Include, “All We Want, Baby, Is Everything“, “Legal Tender”, and the records best track “Thy Will Be Done”.

In hip-hop there are few if any viable caucasian producer/artists, Eminem and RJD2 are two of the most popular. Today I can proudly add a 3rd face to the Mt. Rushmore of White Hip-Hop. Everybody this is Ronald Jenkees. Ronald Jenkees, this is everybody. In his Self Titled debut album, Ronald shows that musical composition comes more from the heart and ear, than from the pen and paper. In his production video’s it is clear this man loves what he does, and for good reason, he’s incredibly good at it. This white boy has got the funk.